Teach Soap

... I'm leery of essential oils. I have been using only FOs up until this point, but I wonder if I should branch out and try EOs. There just seems to be so many cautions and dangers with EOs. Skin irritations, dangers to pregnant women (yikes! ) and people with certain medical conditions, and other scary whatnots. Blech, who needs that? Hello, lawsuit!

That said, I realize that even FOs can cause problems for people with sensitive skin. And I realize that some FOs contain EOs.

Anyhoo ...

I would love to make a peppermint soap for the holidays. BB doesn't have a peppermint FO, but they do have an EO. And peppermint is one of those EOs that carries special cautions. I have to decide: do I try the EO, or look elsewhere for an FO? (I am considering using BB's Moroccan Mint, but I don't know how peppermint-y it is.)

And I have read that EOs need to be "diluted" before being added to soaps, but what does that mean? Diluted with what, and how much? Are EOs used like FOs? Do EOs have a different usage rate than FOs (I know peppermint is potent and I'd probably use less)? I typically use about 2 tsp of FO per pound of soap base (if my math is right, that's about .34 oz. per pound).

I'm just a bit spooked by EOs, but I probably need to get over that. Some people would probably want EOs in particular, and I would feel more well-rounded if I were educated more on this topic. And, of course, if I sold it, I would label the ingredients in my soap and include a warning (and carry liability insurance). But still ...

Any tips would be appreciated!

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- Jenny -
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For soap applications, essential oils do not need to be diluted. If I was you, I would try to find an aromatherapy book, either at the library or at your local bookstore. Different essential oils require different %. Some are very strong and are used at around 0.5% or less. Some, you can go as high as 1%.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I have morrocan mint from BB, it is very pleasant. I blended it with spearmint EO & peppermint EO just because it didn't have enough of it. I use it in cp method.

I use peppermint EO from BB and I love it. I mix it with lavender for lavender/mint soap and also use it streight for Peppermint soap which we love in the summertime in the shower and also at christmas . I must say it can make sensitive skin tingle which stops as soon as you wash it off but if you had a sunburn or a rash it could be unpleasent. I tell people that when I sell it. And its on my label as well.

Thanks for the replies, everybody.

I have some books coming on soaping with EOs as well as a book about EOs.

Soapbuddy, it's good to know that you don't have to dilute an EO before adding it to a soap base. Sounds like EOs are used just like FOs, application-wise, but in slightly different proportions depending on the particular EO.

Are EO percentage rates different in CP versus MP soap? I do MP, and I saw a usage rate recommendation on another website that had a slightly higher use in CP than in MP. Does that have to do with curing time?

What percentage rate would you guys recommend per pound of MP soap for a peppermint EO?

Peppermint is strong, so if I started at the low end (say .5%), I guess that would be .08 oz. EO per pound, right? (If 10% of 16 oz. is 1.6 oz, then 1% is .16 oz., and .5% is .08 oz.) If there's almost .17oz per tsp, I guess a half-tsp would get me a little less than .085oz. Does a half-teaspoon of peppermint EO per pound of soap base sound reasonable? (Please forgive my crazy math ramblings. )

Thanks so much for your input. I really, really appreciate it!

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- Jenny -
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Peppermint EO is very strong. The usage rate for MP would be lower than CP, as MP is already saponified. 0.5 oz. per lb. of soap might be too much. Try 20 drops for a lb. of MP and see if that's strong enough for you. You want to err on the side of caution with this EO as it can irritate the skin in higher %.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks for all of your help, soapbuddy!

I need to get some glass droppers, I guess. And an ounce/gram scale. I've been using measuring spoons for my FOs so far. I do have a plastic pipette, though, and I measured out 20 drops. Seems to have come out to about 1/8 tsp, maybe a little more, which I guess would be about a .125% usage rate or so. In this case, droppers are probably more accurate than my measuring spoons.

What's irritating is that in the books I've looked at so far, no one really gives suggested usage rates. They just say you can use this EO or that EO and here's its properties and uses, blah, blah, blah. But they don't really tell you how much to use, unless it's a strong EO, and then they just say to "use sparingly." What does that mean?! Aargh! I need numbers and measurements! One MP book I have says that EOs are safe to use up to 1%, but, of course, some EOs are too strong to be used in that amount. I'd love to find a chart with % rates of use, particularly for MP since MP and CP have different rates. Maybe I'm wanting too much.

Anyway, thanks for the help, everybody!

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- Jenny -
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Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Litsea, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Rosemary, Spearmint & Thyme should be used in smaller amounts due to possible skin irritation. Citrus oils can make some skin sun sensitive. Benzoin can be a sensitizer (I can't use it as it makes me itch). I would not use Black Pepper at all, unless it's used in a very small amount in a blend.

HTH.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

dont forget pennyroyal.. dangerous for pregnant women as it can cause miscarriage if handled a bunch...i have it in my dog bar and i have it on the labledand when i had my son i had to have my hubby mix it in.. there is a really really good books that can help you learn herbs it is calle eyewtiness handbook herbs by lesley bremness. it is my favorite... sits next ot me at my computer desk, lol .. hope this helps!

Thanks for the book recommendation, Katiebug. I am reading up on all of this and I appreciate any leads! I just got "The Essential Oils Book" by Colleen Dodt from Amazon today. It's not so much about soaping, but it has EO profiles, uses, and cautions. I should probably get a more extensive EO book, too. Got a M&P book coming that I hope deals with EOs in some depth and will maybe suggest usage rates for each EO, which is what I most need.

Thanks, all, for the replies!

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- Jenny -
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